Gameday preview: Gophers women's basketball vs. Ohio State

7 p.m. vs. Ohio State • BTN-plus, 1500-AM

Preview: The Gophers (11-9, 2-5 Big Ten), who had the best RPI among conference teams before starting to play them, could use an upset over No. 15 Ohio State to bolster their sagging NCAA tournament hopes. Minnesota's RPI ranking is down to No. 45. The Buckeyes (17-5, 7-1) beat the Gophers 87-62 in a Big Ten opener on Dec. 28 in Columbus. "No. 1, we need to take care of the ball, and No. 2 we need to hit open shots," Gophers coach Marlene Stollings said. "We got a lot of good looks at their place, and our shooting percentage [28.6] was really bad."

Players to watch: Sophomore point guard Kenisha Bell is second on the team in scoring (16.5 points per game) and first in assists (5.7), but she has nearly as many turnovers (104) as assists (108). Transfer Bryanna Fernstrom, a 6-5 junior center who made her Gophers debut vs. OSU, is averaging 7.1 rebounds — second on the team to Jessie Edwards' 7.6. Ohio State's offense revolves around All-America guard Kelsey Mitchell, who averages a Big Ten-high 22.7 points per game. She has made 324 career three-pointers, more than any other conference player.

Numbers: The Gophers outrebounded OSU 56-55 in their first meeting and shot more free throws (19-12) than the Buckeyes. "Those two keys we need to build on," said Stollings, who hopes the home court helps, too. Minnesota is 9-2 at Williams Arena.